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Coca-Cola European Partners joins disability inclusion campaign The Valuable 500

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15/01/2020

Action on Society |

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler by revenue, has joined The Valuable 500, the global disability inclusion initiative which is encouraging major businesses to recognise the value of the world’s 1.3 billion disabled people.

In becoming part of The Valuable 500, CEO Damian Gammell becomes one of 500 global business leaders committed to putting disability inclusion on the agenda of CCEP’s Board of Directors as a first step to full inclusion for disabled people in business.

Damian Gammell, CEO at Coca-Cola European Partners, said:

“At Coca-Cola European Partners, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and celebrates the unique characteristics that make each of us who we are. I am proud to stand alongside other business leaders in The Valuable 500 and say that we must offer inclusion to all, and must do more to support equality for disabled people within our business. This will build a greater diversity of ideas, thinking and experience. We know more inclusive teams perform better, leading to greater innovation and ultimately better business results.”

Caroline Casey, Founder of The Valuable 500, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Coca-Cola European Partners to The Valuable 500 and celebrate its decision to step forward and support disabled people. We want to see all businesses putting disability inclusion on the board agenda.”

Coca-Cola European Partners has also recently been certified as a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident is a UK government scheme encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.

The company’s broader diversity and inclusion work aims to provide supportive spaces for and raise awareness of diversity of culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation and disability within the organisation.